


Proper Acknowledgment

by xiucreampuff



Category: Eyeshield 21
Genre: F/M, Oblivious Mamori, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:02:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25174318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xiucreampuff/pseuds/xiucreampuff
Summary: Mamori decides confess to Hiruma after the Christmas Bowl.
Relationships: Anezaki Mamori/Hiruma Youichi
Comments: 20
Kudos: 43





	Proper Acknowledgment

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Eyeshield 21 is very much not mine. Thanks very much to writer Riichiro Inagaki and illustrator Yusuke Murata for creating such wonderful work.
> 
> A/N: Posted in a rush, so I might have to come back and make more changes later.

There were few students at Deimon High, especially among the second years dealing with him directly, who weren't scared of Hiruma Youichi. In fact, given his penchant for violent outbursts and gunfire, even close friends of his would be scared from time to time. But Anezaki Mamori wasn't easily intimidated

With a strong sense of justice, she had joined the disciplinary committee just to make sure delinquent students didn't interfere with their classmates' otherwise peaceful lives. Naturally, everyone gave up on him after the first week, so she was pretty much on her own and her reprimands had no effect. She was sure he didn't even see or hear her when she confronted him over his violations of school code.

After a few run-ins, though, she noticed everything he did was for the sake of gaining members for the football team. That didn't seem like such a nefarious purpose for someone who looked like the devil himself.

The company he kept also didn't fit the delinquent stereotype. Everyone knew that for as big as Kurita Ryoutan was, he was no threat to anyone. He was actually the most timid guy in his class. Meanwhile Takekura Gen had a scary face, but had a reputation for being rather kind and got decent grades. (A few of the girls in her class even had a crush on him, since he had the air of a warrior type.)

Besides that, she didn't know what hold he had over the principal, but Hiruma had never actually hit any of the students with his bullets. And the worst thing that could result from his unorthodox recruitment methods was that someone might actually enjoy the sport enough to join the team.

She never expected it would be Sena, though.

The first time Hiruma started to pay any real attention to the busybody disciplinary committee member was when she placed herself between him and his next step to the Christmas Bowl. Fortunately, he was able to manipulate her into joining the American football club as acting manager.

At first, he simply needed more slave labor and she could do some of the legwork when it came to recruiting new members. But she proved more useful than he expected. The more he saw of Mamori with the football club, the more he thought she might be able to contribute to his plans. He started to include her in his summer training camp scheme. After all, not only had she memorized all the rules after a day, but she had developed enough of an understanding after a few games that he was able to discuss strategy with her. She was also the one who came up with the idea of an exhibition match to gather more members.

By the time of the match against the NASA Aliens, she was calling plays from the bench. It was the first time he'd let someone else take control, even briefly, since Musashi left. He was so pleased by the results that he couldn't help teasing her for eating all the pocky sticks afterwards. He would have kicked her in the backside like anyone else, but the fucking monkey or one of the fucking basket substitutes would have raise a fuss.

Inspiration struck while watching her clean up the mess afterwards. Another surprising benefit to having her on the team. After all - what other team manager actually brought a broom with them to a match? In his excitement, Hiruma hastily grabbed onto the broom from behind her, forgetting entirely about personal space or boundaries.

Mamori was only mildly surprised by this point. She was getting used to his antics.

Up close, Hiruma appeared even less of a threat than before. He was crude and rude to be sure, but he was still just another high school student. More focused and fixated on winning than most, his enthusiasm for football was admirable and at times even amusing.

She criticized his harsh training at first, but soon saw that he put in as much effort as he demanded, if not more. Since she sometimes stayed after practice to clean up, she was present when he stayed for extra practice on his own. If he ever had to leave during training hours for any of the other work he was doing - gathering intel, arranging matches, carrying out any number of ridiculous schemes - he made it up later.

When he said their summer training camp was going to be in America, she thought he was crazy. But Mamori had never been and was curious about his training regimen. The Devil Bats were consistently performing well in their unofficial matches, but even she could tell they were a long way from being ready for the Fall Tournament. So when he announced their departure, she didn't hesitate to follow along.

Hiruma had been counting on that. What he wasn't counting on was seeing her play alongside the two fucking shrimps and the infamous Kid and Tetsuma in a game of beach football. Unlike Monta and their basketball fill-ins who would have gone bug-eyed just to see her in a swimsuit, Hiruma was more taken in by her aggressive play in stealing the ball and scoring a touch-in all on her own. If the Devil Gunmans hadn't been up against Too Tattooed and their particular style of playing, he might have been content to keep watching rather than kicking her off the team.

He wasn't the only one with a watchful eye. After seeing him limp - though it was barely perceptible - behind the Devil Bat Big Rig after their first day of training, she followed him with the first aid kit. Even if Sena and Monta were a bit naive, it was obvious to the second years that his body would suffer the consequences of this harsh training, even if he did his best to put up a strong front. As the unofficial medic, she could do at least this much to help him maintain it.

"What are you doing, fucking manager? Go take care of the fucking brats."

Mamori had anticipated an unwelcome response, but wasn't going to let that deter her from doing what she came to do.

"I'm not going. Please hold your knee still."

Not wanting to embarrass either of them due to their longstanding animosity towards each other, she tried to avoid eye contact as she applied the cool pack on his obviously swollen knee.

For his part, he was watching her carefully. Not that he would let his expressions show it, but Hiruma had been caught off guard by her sudden appearance. He didn't think anyone else would notice such a minor injury. He didn't really expect she would leave just because he told her too. But since she was being stubborn, he decided to make things as difficult as possible for her.

He smirked, noting how even her ears turned red when she was annoyed at him.

As they continued on with the harsh training, Mamori somehow became the permanent helmsman of the slow-moving Devil Bat Big Rig. That meant she stayed mostly with the linemen until they all met up at the end of the day for dinner or rest. It gave her a chance to talk to the Devil Bats' new trainer.

After Doburoku explained to her the custom purposes of their individualized training, she had to give him more credit than she had initially done. She was already well aware that he got good marks, but to have planned this far ahead when he put down their names for the lottery to play against the American team was something beyond what a high school student ought to be capable of. To also count on his team to stick around...

When they reached Las Vegas with what she had originally thought was the worst possible plan to return to Japan, she had renewed faith in the team and their captain. But it was obvious everyone was worn out and would need some rest before they worked on that particular phase of the plan.

It was not surprising that everyone immediately collapsed (again) upon arrival in their hotel rooms. Only Hiruma was being noisy. A little too noisy.

As Mamori deflected his bullets with a sturdy broom borrowed from the concierge, she hoped he would take the hint that they could _all_ use a rest. Thankfully, he retreated to his room and she was able to call Suzuna back before she could disturb him.

When they got back to Japan, the fierce standoffs that colored their interactions when Mamori first joined the team lessened considerably. It seemed the entire team's dynamics had changed - after all, it was said comrades in battle developed unbreakable bonds - so everyone quickly adapted to the new normal.

Hiruma, however, remained as trigger-happy as ever in expressing his feelings. Mamori found she couldn't retire her broom.

The Fall Tournament was finally starting. The road to the Christmas Bowl was a ways off. Mamori put her feelings aside for the time being, channeled her energy on helping out where she could. The workload kept her busy. Hiruma trusted her with even more responsibilities after their return. She stayed as late as he did now, talking about upcoming matches, reviewing footage and data, going over strategies. They needed to work together to set up a system for calling plays. After the Poseidons game, she even developed a code to relay information to him from the bench.

No victory was easy, but they were each the more precious for how difficult they were to win. And even their loss to Seibu gave them Musashi as a consolation prize.

She acknowledged it then, when she saw his eyes sparkling as he rallied the team for the next charge, so happy to be playing football for the very first time. His joy was infectious and she couldn't help smiling. So she liked Hiruma Youichi.

It was easy enough to accept, but she wouldn't let it distract her from their goal. As the game against the Bando Spiders neared, she set a private, secondary resolution for herself. They would get through the qualifying match, then go onto the Christmas Bowl. And then she would confess.

From Shinryuuji to Oujou and finally the Dinosaurs, each of their battles was a fight against the odds. But Hiruma was always ready to take a gamble if there was even .001% of success.

That was why he was banking on everyone on his team doing what needed to be done for the win.

When Seibu was finally taken down by the Dinosaurs, he began to prepare for the worst. And even if the fucking manager tore his note to shreds, he knew she'd tape it back together. That was just the kind of person she was. And that was the kind of person he needed.

When he was taken down, she stayed with him in the makeshift infirmary. Just knowing she was there brought him a surprising amount of comfort. Objectively, he'd need help to get back on the field before anyone else got broken, and he couldn't bind his own arms by himself. But he knew there was more than just her utility that made him grateful she was by his side.

He'd have to apologize later, for putting her through this.

The Teikoku Gakuen vs. Deimon match was one for the history books. No one involved was the same after it all. Mamori watched proudly as Sena added more contacts to his phone book. All she'd hoped for him when he entered high school was that he'd finally meet people who would appreciate him properly. And through American football, he truly had.

She was jolted from her thoughts by an arm suddenly dropping over her shoulders.

"Are you going to start crying again, fucking manager?"

"Shut up, idiot." She wiped her eyes, turning to smile up at said idiot. "You did it. Congratulations."

"Heh." His smirk was acknowledgment enough.

On the first day of classes after the Christmas Bowl, Deimon was abuzz with excitement over the Devil Bats' victory. Mamori figured she would take advantage of the commotion to talk to Hiruma alone, finding him in the clubhouse at lunch. Even if everyone else was getting mobbed, nobody dared to crowd around him. 

"Have you eaten?" she asked, taking a seat at their strategy table. It had been rarely turned over onto the plain side these days.

"I was waiting for you, fucking manager," Without looking up, Hiruma held out his hand for the pair of chopsticks she was about to hand him.

Mamori wrinkled her nose as she unpacked her bento, big enough for the both of them.

He closed his laptop at last to join her for lunch. But it didn't take long to notice she wasn't really eating.

"What is it?"

"Huh?" She looked up, clearly startled.

"You look like you have something on your mind."

"It's nothing." Now that the time had actually come, Mamori actually found it harder to say than she'd thought.

"No, it isn't. What? Are you feeling depressed now that the tournament's over? Because-"

"No, no. That's not it."

He watched her fingers fidget with her chopsticks and noted her ears turning red. Was she annoyed at him? Perhaps silence rather than pressure would be more likely to get her to talk.

After a few more moments, she finally looked up at him.

"Do you- do you want to go out with me? Sometime? I mean, not here or on one of your hellish Death games, but- out. That is, when you have time. If you aren't busy."

Despite her words losing confidence towards the end in a way that reminded him of Sena, her eyes remained locked on his. It was obvious this was difficult for her, but she was determined to see it through.

"Idiot." He reached out with his long arm to put his hand on her head, lightly ruffling her hair. "I thought we were already going out."

Her sharp eyes relaxed, but if anything, her face got redder.

"We are?"

Chuckling, he dropped his hand and sat up straighter, using his chopsticks to pick up a rice ball from her bento to feed it to her.

"Well let's look at the facts. You bring me a lunch every day."

"Because you never pack one," she replied, before taking said rice ball into her mouth.

He ignored her. "I walk you home practically every day."

"You said you live the same way!"

"And?" He arched an eyebrow at her. No response, so he went on, now ticking off everything on the list with his long fingers. "We have our own secret sign language, you stayed at the hospital after that fucking monster broke my arm, you've seen where I live, you dyed my roots when I couldn't use my fucking arm, I let you use my laptop with all our important game plays. So was I mistaken?"

_"Was I mistaken?"*_

Mamori recalled a conversation on the bench with Doburoku. She could only stare, both bewildered and relieved. Of course everything for him, even dating, would revolve around football.

"Not to mention I practically namedropped you in that American Football Monthly interview."

"What?! When?!"

_Your ideal woman: Someone useful._

He waited for it to click, then leaned in closer to her, smiling widely.

"Well I guess there's one thing I didn't do that might have made it more obvious."

Mamori didn't hesitate this time, leaning in right when he did, to close the distance between them. She felt his self-satisfied smile against her lips and leaned into it, deepening the kiss. She was going to make up for all that lost time.

~ * ~ EPILOGUE ~ * ~

On the flight back to America for the Youth World Cup, Hiruma left his seat among the other players and sat in the empty aisle seat beside Mamori. Without a word, he crossed his arms and closed his eyes. She stirred just enough to brush her fingers lightly over his knuckles. Both smiled, Mamori looking out the window and Hiruma down towards his chest. 

**Author's Note:**

> *The English translation of this line is a little different, but I liked the Korean line, which translates to, "Was I mistaken?"
> 
> A/N: I might try to write something not-HiruMamo soon.


End file.
